Sobey (he/they/sila) is a returning facilitator who has been with Pagsuyo 1 & 2. Residing as a settler on occupied Unceded Coast Salish Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-waututh peoples currently known as Vancouver BC, Canada. 

 

Their inahan is from Cebu City and their Lolo and Lola are from Palompon, Leyte and Suba, Bantayan Island. His amahan  was adopted of mixed Asian and born in Ottawa. Sobey was born in Tkaronto (“the place in the water where the trees are standing,”) the ancestral lands of the Wendat, Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Métis and Mississaugas of the Credit. They were born while his inahan was not yet a Canadian citizen and are in process of securing a Philippine citizenship to eventually reside on Cebu as a big part of their decolonization journey. A multiple series participant in Bàbà Bisaya language program Sobey is eager to practice Sugbuanon with other speakers and learners. 

 

Through their role with Kathara Pilipino Indigenous Arts Society Sobey came into collaboration with Center for Babaylan Studies in 2016 for the co-production of a conference. Other active involvements include consulting with NPC3 (National Philippine Cultural Center non-profit society, Ancestral Foodways and Restoring Lifeways organization with a focus on Cross-Cultural Protocols. 

Future dreams include building a bridge between diaspora and ancestral homelands for Filipinos that supports locals in the Philippines doing cultural work. This includes supporting ocean clean up, coral reef regeneration,reforestation and mangrove restoration.